Waterfalls
by LightLeadingMe
Summary: TWOSHOT - Erin had to make a decision that ultimately was out of her hands. She was prepared for the onslaught of anger, but not to this extent. Rossi/Strauss
1. Chapter 1

Erin would be lying to herself if she said she didn't just fuck everything up royally. She knew the minute she sent the e-mail out that the shit would hit the fan and her life would be hell throughout the next few days. Things would die down, eventually, the team she just screwed over coming to an understanding of her actions, but she still braced herself for the backlash that was sure to come.

And boy did it come.

The first person to enter her office was Aaron Hotchner which surprised her; she was sure Rossi would have beat him to the punch. He didn't knock, didn't greet her, he just stood in front of her desk defiantly, she swore she could literally see the steam escaping his ears.

"Agent Hotchner, I-"

"Where exactly do you get off, ma'am?"

The question was blunt, insubordinate, and shocking to hear. Erin's eyebrows raised and her head tilted slightly to the side as if to turn her ear towards him to understand better just exactly what he said. "I beg your pardon?"

"Removing a member of my team without even discussing it with me proves your lack of courage - an easy escape, if you will - as opposed to coming to a solution upon which we agree," he told her, his glare gleaming through his brown eyes.

Erin's nose flared and she rose out of her seat, her hands resting on the desk in front of her. "Agent-"

"How long have you known about the budget cuts, ma'am? A week now?" He was out of line and he knew it, but he couldn't help but continue on. "Not once did I receive any notification. Had I received one, we possibly could have conducted a meeting, but instead you decided to fire Miss Jareau right under my nose."

"I didn't fire-"

"She is no longer apart of the bureau, correct?"

"Well, no-"

"Then her employment has been terminated, yes? I.E. - she has been fired."

Her temples pulsed and her face was hot. She was rendered speechless for a moment and then she straightened her back as if to take him on fully. "Aaron, I understand the anger, but it is not up to me where the budget cuts are placed. The director gave me a list of what needed to be done. Yes, the time of which I received that list was last Monday, but time has nothing to do with the decisions I have made and why I have made them. If you'd take care to notice this is the third time the Director has come to me, yet the first time I've had to take action within the BAU. It's out of my hands!" She calmed her voice for a moment and added, "you're lucky it's only one member of your team and not two."

Aaron's face seemed to have softened, just in the slightest, but she had caught it and felt the small sense of relief flood her chest. He was beginning to understand. "I apologize about my not discussing the decision with you, but you and I both know the decision would have been made easier if it came from someone who wasn't personally connected to the team." He nodded at her and she took a breath before continuing. "I have set up possible places of employment for Miss Jareau - both of which will provide her a steadier home life with her son and partner. I have only given the notification to you, Agent Rossi, and the Director so it is up to you on who you would like to provide Miss Jareau with the news. I can arrange a meeting myself if-"

"No," he interrupted her, his eyes glued to the floor. "I will talk to her myself."

Erin nodded and folded her hands together in front of her. "Then that will be all, Agent Hotchner."

He walked out of the room without so much of a glance in her direction and Erin collapsed into her chair. Dealing with Hotchner was one thing - dealing with David was on a whole different planet of things. She looked at her watch and timed the seconds down. Within 10 minutes of Aaron leaving her office, another force barged through her door and slammed it, the windows surrounding the office almost rattling in its wake.

"Are you _kidding me_ with this shit, Erin?"

Once again, Erin stood and faced her enemy of 25 years, her shoulders squared and her lips pursed. "David, I have already discussed the terms with Agent Hotchner-"

"_Discussed_?" he spat at her. "No, you flat out told him in a goddamn e-mail that JJ was fired and there's nothing he can do about it!"

"There isn't anything anyone can do about it!" Erin screeched. With Hotch she was calm and reserved, but with David she could never keep her composure. Too many years had gone by between them to create certain boundaries. "I have orders to abide by-"

"Bullshit!" He exclaimed. "You have your reputation and your selfishness to abide by, Erin! Don't pull this "Director's orders" crap with me. I can see right through you."

Erin opened her mouth, but David continued, laying everything out on the table as if he had kept it bottled up for years on end. Which, Erin thought, he probably did.

"You know what your problem is, Strauss?" her name was spoken with such venom that she involuntarily shivered. "Your problem is that the only person you care about is yourself. You don't think about the outcome of others or how your shitty decisions in life affect those around you. As long as Erin is okay then everything else can go to shit. That's why John left, isn't it?"

The words struck deep and all she could do was bite her lip and prepare for the onslaught of pain, her heart pounding in her chest as though it were trying to escape.

"And your kids?" he laughed humorlessly. "When's the last time one of them actually spoke to you?" He took a step closer to her and lowered his voice. "You want to know why your daughter threw all her time into her studies? So she could go to a college out of the country and get away from you. And your son? How long has he been suspended from school for possession of marijuana?" He couldn't help but grin in spite. "And your youngest, Eloise..."

Erin raised her eyes from her desk to his blazing brown orbs. "17 and pregnant already - probably from the lack of maternal affection. _Your_ affection."

She couldn't breathe. Her vision grew blurry and her lip was bleeding from her teeth biting through the skin. All of her fears were thrown straight into her face without warning and she wondered if there was anything she could have done to stop it.

"Get out." Her voice was shaky, watery from the tightness of her throat and the build up of tears behind her eyes, threatening to fall at any moment.

As if coming out of a fog, David's words began to echo in his head and the guilt settled around his chest. He watched the woman before him struggling to keep her composure. The bricks around her heart were shattered into tiny pieces. Her skin was pale, her hands held tightly to her sides and fists clenched as if they would release her emotion if she loosened her grip. He didn't want this. He wanted to strike a nerve, yes, but he didn't want to destroy her whole world. Where was her backlash? Why wasn't she fighting?

"Erin," he breathed out, his eyes softening and his hand reaching out for her. She flinched as though he had just slapped her across the face and he withdrew his hand, placing it back at his side.

"Get. Out."

This time all he could do was nod his head and oblige. He opened the door and stepped out slowly before turning to close it. In that moment he heard the most heart wrenching sobs escape from Erin's throat, the grief and the pain seeping through the cracks. He leaned his head against the closed door, his hand still clenched around the handle.

He debated for a moment before turning the handle and stepping back inside the office.


	2. Chapter 2

Dave practically ran back into the room, making sure to close and lock the door behind him. He barely made it to her before she collapsed. He caught her in his arms and she slumped against him as her sobs echoed throughout the office. He wanted to get a point across, take her down a few pegs - not destroy the entire structure around her heart. He went too far - way too far - and he knew she would never trust him again.

He cradled her head against his chest and ran his fingers gently though her hair, whispering words of apology that he knew would mean nothing to her. She began mumbling into his jacket, clutching to him for dear life. He strained his ear to understand, but her words were unintelligible.

"What was that?" he asked gently. "What are you saying?"

"You - h-have no right!" She exclaimed and pulled away from him. "You have no right to say those things to me! You're just as bad! Three failed marriages, all from women who hate you for what you did to them! How dare you!" She pounded her fists against his chest and arms hysterically. "H-how dare you!"

David felt helpless as he watched her fall to the floor in hysterics. He reached out for her, but she flinched as if he had struck her with his hand.

"I'm so sorry, Erin," he whispered. "I was out of line. I didn't think," he tried to explain, but words were failing him. "I was just so angry and - I'm sorry." He sat down next to her on the floor and leaned against the wall under the large window. Erin raised her knees to her chest and cried softly into them.

"Please go," she croaked out after a few moments.

"I can't do that," he told her, his voice soft. "I can't leave you like this, Erin."

"Please," she squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head away from him as silent tears streamed from her blue orbs. "Please leave me alone. You've done enough for one day."

"Erin," he tried again, but he knew she had completely shut down. Standing up, David couldn't resist leaning down and pressing a kiss on top of her head. "I'm sorry."

* * *

><p>He didn't see her for two whole weeks after that - back to back cases and then he heard she had taken a vacation week. JJ was starting her job at the end of the month and the team was organizing a farewell party at the BAU for her. Dave was pissed at himself. He had called her several times, but each call went to voicemail. He should be spending his time with his team and JJ before he loses her, but he couldn't get the Section Chief out of his head. His guilty conscious was eating him and he knew the only way it would stop was if he spoke to her.<p>

The night of the party came and everyone was gathered in the bullpen - friends, families, and colleagues of JJ combined. David stood back a bit to observed and nurse his scotch. A knot formed in his stomach and goosebumps raised on his skin, both signs that she was near. He scanned the room quickly to find the blonde hair and when he finally did, his breath caught in his throat.

Erin stood by the glass doors of the BAU with a water bottle in hand, looking just as lost as she probably felt. David glanced over her appearance - her hair was down around her shoulders, her makeup a bit heavy, and her skirt clinging tightly to her hips, accentuating her curves perfectly. The blouse she wore was a light blue that made her skin glow and her stilettos were a deep crimson red. David felt a twitch in his libido, but shook the thought from his mind. He needed to make amends with Erin, not jump her bones.

He tore his eyes away from her body to study her face and found her gazed trained on him. They locked eyes for a full minute and then she was gone, taking off on a brisk walk out of the bullpen and down the hall towards her office. He took off after her, practically sprinting across the room.

"Dave?" Aaron asked as he breezed past him, but the older man ignored him and tore through the doors.

Reaching her office, Dave didn't bother knocking on the door before opening it and entering the dimly lit room. "Erin?" he called out, not seeing her at first.

"What do you want, David?"

He spun around and found her sitting on the couch with her arms crossed over her chest and a defiant look in her eye. "You've been ignoring me," he said weakly.

"Well, I'm sorry if I didn't feel like speaking to the man who does nothing but make me feel like shit every time I talk to him." Her words were blunt and harsh, but Dave welcomed the anger.

"I told you I was sor-"

"Those are just words, David," she cut him off and stood up to face him. "You don't get it, do you?" she laughed humorlessly at him, a scowl forming on her face. "This isn't about you. You don't get to decide when its okay to talk with me."

"Erin, I'm just trying-"

"You took everything from me!" she yelled. "Do you get that, David? You took everything," her voice dropped to a whisper and her eyes looked to the floor. "You won."

David narrowed his eyes at her and took a step forward. "What do you mean I won?"

Erin raised her gaze to look him straight in the eye. "I'm resigning from the FBI."

"What?!" he exclaimed.

"I'm meeting with the director on Monday."

"No! Erin," he grasped her arms and look at her more closely, registering the shock in her facial features at his outburst. "You can't leave - please."

"Isn't this what you wanted, Dave?" she asked. "You've been waiting for your opportunity to take me out and you found one. You've pushed me over the edge and instead of fighting I'm giving up. If it didn't happen now then it would happen somewhere else down the line." She shrugged out of his grasp and stepped back. "So, you win."

"I don't want to win, Erin," he told her. "I don't want this - I never wanted you to leave."

"I don't understand?" She knit her eyebrows together in confusion.

The thing was, David didn't understand either. "I can't explain it," he began, running a hand through his hair. "I need you here. I know I'm out of line - 99.9% of the time I'm out of line - and what I said a few weeks ago was horrible. I don't know what came over me. I was upset, scared - and I know these are just excuses to you, but it's the truth." He stepped back towards her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, bringing her to him. "You resigning will not erase the past 24 years, though, Erin," he whispered and he felt her breath hitch in her throat. "You've worked and dedicated your entire life to this place - resigning will not bring back your kids or your husband. You have to find a balance."

"I just can't do it anymore, David." She looked at him with tear filled eyes. "You proved that to me."

"No," he whispered, pressing his lips to her forehead. "Please don't say that. I'm so sorry."

They stood in silence, David's heart breaking as he held her tightly to him. After a while, Erin finally raised her arms from her sides and wrapped them around his waist. David buried his nose in her hair, taking in the sweet smell of her perfume and Erin laid her head on his shoulder.

"You belong here," he told her gently. "I need you here."

Someone cleared their throat from behind them and David felt Erin stiffen in his arms, but he kept her in his embrace, not caring who saw them. He craned his neck around to find Aaron in the doorway with a tiny smirk crossing his lips. "JJ's been looking for you."

Erin kept her face away from Hotchner's gaze, burying her nose in David's neck.

"We'll be right there," Dave told him and Aaron nodded, closing the door behind him quietly. Leaning down, David kissed her cheek and rubbed his arms up and down her back. "Will you stay? Will you fight with me?"

Erin lifted her head and returned his gesture by kissing his cheek like he did hers. "I will fight you til the day I die, David Rossi."

He let out a short laugh and they parted. Erin smoothed her hair down and wiped at her red rimmed eyes.

"Erin, what I said about your kids-"

She placed her finger upon his lips and shushed him. "You may have been out of line, but you weren't incorrect. I've come to terms with my actions and I've began to make amends with my children."

"But I-"

"David," she smiled and cupped his face in her hands. "Let's get back to that party."

He nodded and reached down to take her hand and laced their fingers together. She looked up at him quizzically, but he ignored her and continued on down the hall towards the party. When they reached the bullpen he felt Erin try to slip her hand from his, but he gripped it tighter and ignored her questioning gaze. Aaron walked over to them and leaned over towards Dave.

"Is everything all right?" he asked quietly so Erin wouldn't overhear.

David looked down at the woman by his side, his thumb stroking against the back of her hand soothingly. "It will be."

_Don't go chasing waterfalls_

_Please stick to the rivers and the lakes that your'e used to_

_I know that you're gonna have it your way or nothing at all_

_But I think you're moving too fast..._

**A/N: Okay, I'm really sorry for this. I've never been more disappointed in a story in my entire life. This fic is all over the place and I know it sucks, but I had to finish it and this is what I came up with. Review if ya want, I understand if you don't. :/**


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